Moorestown boys trip Haddonfield in defensive rematch

Scoring zero points in the first quarter didn’t exactly bode well for Moorestown’s prospects of beating Haddonfield.

The Quakers looked stumped on offense.

And unless you really paid attention, things didn’t look much different, or feel much different, when Moorestown used a 4-0 run to finally tie the score at 11 — in the third quarter.

But that constituted momentum in this strange, ultra-methodical game. And Moorestown used it to steal a 27-25 victory from a Haddonfield team that sported a 15-1 record and a 14-game winning streak.

“They’re a solid defensive team, but we weathered the storm, and we made shots when we needed to,” said Quakers coach Shawn Anstey.

The meeting between two defending state champions — a rematch of last year’s Tournament of Champions quarterfinals when Moorestown beat Haddonfield, 60-59 — was one of the marquee matchups of this weekend’s annual showcase at Holy Cross Preparatory Academy.

Despite the fact that both teams went into the contest with just one loss, the game underscored how different both of these team are from a season ago.

But just as much, it showed the culture and the pride that have helped both programs remain among South Jersey’s best despite a lack of star power.

Haddonfield’s matchup zone defense was clinical throughout, particularly in the first quarter.

But Moorestown’s toughness on defense was just as evident. And the Quakers were relentless and methodical in their effort to finally crack the Bulldawgs’ defense despite not scoring their first point until there was 5 minutes, 57 seconds left in the second quarter.

“It was a slugfest, and this will help us in the long run,” said Haddonfield coach Paul Wiedeman, whose team fell to 15-2. “Both of these teams are restocked, so to speak, but culture trumps anything else. And a game like this will help us come the postseason.”

Junior guard James Byrd came off the bench to lead Moorestown with eight second-half points. And Logan Jagodzinski also scored eight points.

His corner three-pointer at the third-quarter buzzer was one of only two triples by his team in the game. It was also one of the few energizing offensive moments. It brought Moorestown to within one point entering the final quarter.

Byrd also scored five of his team’s nine fourth-quarter points.

Moorestown led, 27-22, with just over a minute left before a three-pointer by the Bulldawgs’ Andrew Gostivich set up a tense final minute in which Haddonfield rimmed out on two would-be game-winners.

“This was a big win for the whole team,” said Byrd, whose team improved to 15-1, extending its winning streak to 12 in a row. “I just wanted to step up to the role that my team needed me to play.”

Senior forward Ben Cerrato did everything for Haddonfield. He scored 16 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and blocked two shots.

He scored all of his team’s points in both the second and third quarters.

And, in fact, he scored his team’s first point in the fourth quarter. Haddonfield’s stretch of Cerrato scoring all of its points didn’t end until, with 4:23 left, guard Tommy Mooney hit a pair of free throws.

Haddonfield looked solid running its offense and found enough open looks and layups throughout the game. The shots just weren’t falling.

The same could be said of the team’s free-throw shooting. The Bulldawgs were 7-of-14 for the game but missed all six of their free throws in the first quarter, a stretch that would have given them some needed breathing room -- something Moorestown’s man-to-man pressure didn’t give them all game.

“We were happy with our defense today,” Antsey said. “We think we did a pretty good job on them tonight.”

Haddonfield 4 7 8 6 — 25

Moorestown 0 7 11 9 — 27

H- Ben Cerrato 16, Andrew Gostovich 5, Justin Kasko 2, Tommy Mooney 2.

M- Hayden Greer 5, Kevin Muhic 2, Shane Knobloch 2, Logan Jagodzinski 8, James Byrd 8, Nick DiMarino 2.